Once More With Feeling
by Eirian
Summary: In a moment of panic for her falling friends, Kagome makes a wish on the nearly-completed Shikon jewel. But how far will her wish set her back... in time? Probably a little OOC, but nothing too obvious. And at the moment, little plot-lings are popping up,
1. Prologue & Down the Rabbit Hole Again

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha-tachi. I don't even own any of the manga... yet. I _do_ own what seems to be a hundred tapes of the show recorded off adult swim, which is all I can get at the moment. Oh, and the first volume of theme songs. But that's hardly enough money to buy even a twenty-fifth of a share of Inuyasha. So, it's all owned by Rumiko Takahashi, who's gotta be a genius to come up with such great characters. Now if only she'd write a crossover...

A/N1: The prologue was so short, I felt dirty just thinking of posting it alone, so I posted chapter 1 (also ridiculously short) with it. Eventually the chapters get longer, but I break them up at natural stopping points (or I try to), so the size will probably vary. And the title is just a working title. Despite it's clichéness, it _really_ seemed to fit.

A/N2: This is my first published attempt at an on-going Inuyasha story. Go easy on me. This is what happens when you run out of ideas before you run out of caffeine... beware of raging plotholes and - wait. I have a plot in this? How did _that_ get in there! I could have _sworn_ this was just senseless drivel... must be my word processor...

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Prologue: Be Careful What You Wish For...

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, reaching one hand out futilely toward him, as if to stop what was happening. She watched from her prone position sprawled on the ground as he looked down, staring in blank confusion at the sharp tip of the tentacle sticking through his shoulder from his back. Naraku had just barely missed his heart.

"Hi-raikotsu!" Sango cried laborously, flinging the boomerang with what was left of her energy. It swung around and severed the tentacle spearing Inuyasha's shoulder before returning to Sango, whose legs collapsed as she tried to catch it. The severed tentacle fell limply to the ground, and Inuyasha continued to stare at it as it's weight pulled it out of his body.

Despair began to wash over Kagome in overwhelming waves. They were going to die. They were all going to die, and she couldn't do anything about it. She was drained, so tired, and wounded, and it was all just too much. Kagome closed her eyes as tears began to spill down her cheeks. _Please,_ she prayed, _I never wanted any of this to happen. I just want to put everything right. I wish I could do everything right..._

The jewel shards around her neck pulsed.

Across the battlefield, as Naraku finally lifted the dazed hanyou by the neck, the nearly completed Shikon no Tama pulsed. Once. Twice. Inuyasha focused his eyes as he felt the energy surging and rising, concentrating and building. Naraku looked at Inuyasha for a moment, before his eyes flew past him, to the prone form of Kagome. "What are you doing?" The jewel pulsed again, stronger, faster. "Stop it!" There was a note of fear in Naraku's voice.

Kagome stared at him, uncomprehending for a moment. And then, she seemed to realize just what was happening. As Naraku opened his hand and dropped Inuyasha, Kagome opened her mouth. Her eyes were drawn to Inuyasha, who was breathing laboredly. His eyes opened sluggishly and he looked at her. They stared at each other for a moment. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Kagome moved her hand up to clutch at the vial holding her jewel shards. "I wish..."

"No!" Naraku screamed, moving toward her. But he was suddenly so far away, and moving so slowly.

"...I could start over, and make everything right..."

Naraku was almost to her - which only helped Kagome's position, because the closer the jewel came to the wayward shards, the stronger and faster the pulsing became, until they weren't separate pulses, but one long burst of energy and light. As Kagome turned her head away from the blinding light, she had one thought. _I'll always be with you... Inuyasha..._

****

Chapter One: Down the Rabbit Hole... Again

Kagome blinked in confusion. "Umm..." she said out loud, "how did I get inside the well?" She looked at the surrounding walls and toward the sky and discovered she was still in the past. "Huh. That's...weird. About to be killed by Naraku one minute, here the next..." Her eyes widened as she realized what she'd just said. If he'd somehow been able to transport her here, she'd never be able to get back in time to save her friends. "Inuyasha..."

She looked down at herself in confusion. But... if she'd just been transported from there to here... where were her wounds? She'd had a nasty cut on her arm, and her leg had a large gash down it from one of Naraku's tentacles. But they were all gone, and her uniform was uncut and pristine. Almost as if... _As if it never happened..._

She stood up, deciding to get out of the well and figure out just what was going on. She'd go to Kaede and speak to her. Maybe the jewel had done something, something involving that bright flash of light and explosion of energy...

She turned around to find the vines she used to climb out, and stopped short. Lying there, right by her feet... was an arm. A severed arm. Kagome stared at it for long moments, uncomprehending. It almost looked like... it almost looked like Mistress Centipede's arm. Kagome gave a nervous little laugh. _But that's not possible! That was such a long time ago!... right?_

Shivering with a foreboding feeling, Kagome grabbed the vines and pulled herself quickly out of the well. After that, she headed toward the Goshinboku. Once she made it to the sacred tree, she'd find the path to the village, and see Kaede-

Except she never made it that far. As soon as she stepped into the clearing around the Goshinboku, she froze, staring at the old tree. The tree that Inuyasha had been pinned to by a sacred arrow for fifty years. A tree that Inuyasha was _still_ pinned to.

As if in a dream, Kagome moved forward, one slow step at a time, until she reached the root that had grown up around Inuyasha's body. She pulled herself up, so she was standing level with the boy. Leaning forward, she peered at his sleeping face. "Inu...yasha?" she said hesitantly. Nothing. He didn't open his eyes, his ears didn't twitch; he gave no response that he'd heard her. "Oh, Inuyasha," she breathed, laying her head on his chest for comfort. "What is going on? What's happened? What... what have I done?" She was sure this was her fault. Wasn't it always her fault, somehow? She was the one who'd awoken Mistress Centipede, just by being near the well. She was the one who had the Shikon no Tama in her body, thus bringing it back to the Sengoku Jidai. She was the one who accidentally shattered it into hundreds of pieces. She was the one who was always being kidnapped and held hostage and needed to be rescued by Inuyasha. _And I'm the one who freed Inuyasha. If it weren't for me, he'd still be stuck to the Goshinboku, dead to the world, and suffering no pain at the hands of Naraku. He wouldn't be tortured by Kikyo's clay incarnation._

But, apparently, she never _had_ released him. Or maybe... maybe she hadn't released him _yet_... Kagome's eyes were drawn to the arrow sticking from his shoulder. Right where Naraku had speared him with a tentacle. She lifted her hand to the arrow, intending to pull it out...

"Get away from there!" Kagome spun to find a dozen archers from the village pointing arrows at her. She shrieked as they let loose the volley, spinning to press herself against Inuyasha for protection.

_Now This seems familiar,_ Kagome thought sardonically. She was sat on a blanket, arms tied behind her back, listening to the villagers whispering about her. She knew some of them from her many stays in the village, but none of them seemed to recognize her.

"Make way for the High Priestess Kaede!" A man yelled, and Kagome breathed out a sigh of relief. She could talk to Kaede, and figure out just what was going on-

Kaede stopped in front of her and started throwing herbs at her. "Hey!" Kagome cried.

"Demon begone!" Kaede cried, ignoring her.

"I'm not a demon!" Kagome told her, upset. If she hadn't thought she was in the past before, she was sure now. She'd forgotten about this part. Of course, she'd forgotten a lot of it - it had been almost two years ago, and so much had happened to her since then, this incident had been pushed to the far recesses of her mind.

"Are ye not?" Kaede asked. "Then why were ye found in the Forest of Inuyasha?"

"She could be a spy from the war," Kaede's assistant murmured. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Why would anyone wish to invade a poor village such as this?" Kaede returned. She looked at Kagome for a long moment, before leaning forward. "Let me have a look at ye." She took Kagome's chin in her hand and turned her head this way and that, inspecting her face. "You're a clever girl?" she asked. "...or be ye a half-wit?"

Kagome clenched her jaw. She'd forgotten about THAT, too.

To be continued...

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**A/N:** It's me again. Please tell me what you think. If you liked it, please say so. I'll try to take constructive criticism well fortunately for me, you won't know if I blow a raspberry at my computer screen when I read the review. Should I continue to post this? Or should I just pull it down and hide it on my hard-drive?


	2. Down the Rabbit Hole Again pt2

A/N: a reviewer mentioned they started reading this story because they recognized the title from a TV show. They didn't mention the show's name, but I know it was Buffy, because not only is that one of my favorite episodes, I have the soundtrack. I was more than a little nervous naming this fic "Once More With Feeling" because it's really nothing like that ep. (Although after I read the review, I kept getting flashes of char.s like Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru breaking out into song as they started fighting. ) I named it OMWF because Kagome is starting all over again - but this time, she's going to try to do everything right, instead of stumbling along blindly... or at least she's going to try. So now, on to the story.

* * *

"Stew?" Kaede handed Kagome an earthen bowl filled with stew, which Kagome took eagerly. She wasn't sure when the last time was she'd eaten. It was now just past nightfall, and they were in Kaede's hut. Kagome had been freed from her bonds, though her wrists still ached from the rope. 

"Bear us no ill will, child," Kaede said. "For though I now see ye mean us no harm, in these troubled times of war, no stranger may be welcome among us without deep distrust."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "I understand. But I'm not a youkai, and I have no interest in the wars."

Kaede gave her a shrewd look. "What WERE ye doing in the Forest of Inuyasha, girl? Jounichi said they found you with the hanyou, looking as if ye were about to pull out the arrow pinning him."

Kagome bit her lip. "Well, the thing is..." Ooh, how did she explain this? "I'm not... I'm not from here."

Kaede nodded. "So ye are a foreigner."

"Well... not exactly. I actually live by the Goshinboku and the Bone-Eater's well... just, five-hundred years in the future." Kagome could just see Kaede thinking that she'd been right in thinking this oddly dressed girl was a half-wit. Certifiably insane. Kagome sighed. "I know it sounds insane, but... the well is actually a portal, between my home in the future, and here. That's why I'm dressed so strange-this is what girl's wear in my time, when they go to school. I'm not crazy, really."

Kaede extended a hand. "Calm yourself, girl. Though your story seems farfetched, in these times I have learned to take every tale seriously, for there is always at least a grain of truth within."

Kagome sighed with relief. She knew she could convince Kaede eventually, but she didn't want the old woman to look down on her, thinking she was stupid.

Suddenly, the peace of the night was disturbed as they heard crashes outside, and people yelling. Both women jumped up and headed to the door. It was clear as soon as they looked out that the village was under attack. Kagome's eyes widened as she saw the green, many-legged body of Mistress Centipede, coiling and writhing in the streets, demolishing huts. The humanoid torso of the youkai appeared above them, a horse locked between her jaws. When she saw Kagome, she dropped the equine. "Where is the Shikon no Tama? I must have it!"

Kaede's eyes widened. "Did she say... Shikon no Tama?" She turned to look at Kagome. "Bear ye it still?"

Kagome's hand instinctively flew to her neck, where her vial of shards always hung - but her neck was bare. Her breath hitched and caught in her throat as she remembered with crystal clarity - Mistress Centipede sinking her teeth into the flesh of her hip, then tossing her into the air, tearing her flesh apart and pulling the jewel out of her body.

"Spears, arrows-nothing works!" One of the villagers was saying to Kaede.

"We must lead it to the dry well," Kaede replied. Kagome nodded. "I'll distract her, you can follow!" She turned and began running toward the light eminating from the forest, and the well.

But Mistress Centipede was right behind her, weaving back and forth in the air and gaining, ever-gaining, and she wasn't going to make it to the well. I'm not going to make it! "Help!" she cried, running as fast as she could. "Please, someone! Help me! InuYASHA!"

Deep in the forest, resting against the Sacred Tree, Inuyasha's energy pulsed. Then, his ears twitched at a loud crash. His energy pulsed again-

-and golden eyes snapped open.

"Give me the Shikon no Tama!" Mistress Centipede yelled at Kagome.

"Never!" Kagome yelled back, turning to race up a hill. "You're ugly enough as it is!"

Mistress Centipede seemed to take exception to this, diving to burrow into the hill directly beneath Kagome, flinging her up and making her slide to a stop directly in front of the Goshinboku.

"Having fun?"

Kagome blinked and looked up - to find Inuyasha gazing back down at her. Her face lit up. "Oh, thank goodness you're awake!" she cried. "You have to help me!"

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow. "You don't need my help against that wimpy little hanyou. Just kill her."

"I can't kill her!" Kagome cried, climbing onto the root surrounding Inuyasha again, so she was eye-level with him. "I don't have any arrows, you moron! I'm barehanded!"

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, considering, and said, "Release me, and I'll kill her for you."

Kagome bit her lip. This isn't your Inuyasha, Kagome, she reminded herself. Once you release him, he'll go after you next.

Yes, another part of her argued, but then Kaede will put the prayer beads on him, and everything will work out.

Kagome let out a large breath. "I trust you, Inuyasha." Something in his eyes flashed, and he looked at her, puzzled. Then, his face softened, and he said, "You'd better. I'm always saving your ass."

Kagome looked at him, confused. "Inuyasha...?"

Inuyasha stared into her eyes seriously. "Just release me. I hate being stuck to this fucking tree."

But Kagome just continued to stare at him, one hand resting on his chest next to the arrow. "You haven't once insulted me yet. You're supposed to think I'm Kikyo, and tell me how much you hate me, and then-"

Inuyasha interrupted her. "How could anyone mistake you for Kikyo? Kagome."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Inuyasha!"

Mistress Centipede took that moment to appear before them. "Give me the jewel! Foolish child!"

Kagome locked eyes with Inuyasha as Mistress Centipede dove toward her-

The men from the village and Kaede arrived in time to see it all. Kagome wrapped her hand around the arrow in Inuyasha's shoulder, and with a burst of pink light, the arrow disintegrated. Instantly, Inuyasha wrapped an arm around Kagome and tucked her into his side. With the other arm, he extended his claws toward the still looming Mistress Centipede, and cried, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" His claws separated her directly down the middle, from her head to halfway down her body.

"Wow. That was anticlimactic," Kagome said, looking at the many pieces of the dead Mistress Centipede. Inuyasha nodded. Both of them were silent for a moment, neither mentioning the fact that she was still tucked snugly against his side.

"Kagome!" Kaede called to her from the path. Kagome and Inuyasha looked toward her, to find the two men accompanying her were pointing arrows toward them. "Child, move away from him! He is a demon!"

Kagome blinked in confusion. "What? Oh!" She looked at Inuyasha. "No, it's alright, he won't hurt anyone! Will you?" she asked Inuyasha, looking up at him innocently.

Inuyasha stared at her for a long moment. He wasn't wearing his subduing rosary anymore (or was that "yet"?), and if he wanted to kill them, he could. Kagome wouldn't be able to stop him. No one could stop him.

But the look in Kagome's eyes, that complete trust... Kikyo always saw him as a demon. She only got near him because she knew she could handle him if he got out of control. Kagome trusted him so much, she didn't even think he might revert to his old self, killing humans. She trusted him, and that look in her eyes was something he would never betray.

"No," he told her quietly. She smiled happily at him, unaware of his dark thoughts, and Inuyasha felt his heart squeeze, almost painfully. Trying not to blush at the feeling, Inuyasha turned and scowled at Kaede. "I ain't gonna kill anyone, baba. Unless they threaten me or Kagome, that is." He cast a speaking look toward the two archers.

Kaede stared searchingly at the half-demon for a moment before waving at the archers to lower their weapons. She had noticed the way the two interacted, and the fact that Kagome was still tucked against his side, and how comfortable they were with each other. "Let us return to the village," she called to them, before turning her own horse and starting back.

Inuyasha was about to follow Kaede, when Kagome held him back. Inuyasha turned to look at her questioningly. Kagome smiled at him and said, "I just wanted to tell you how glad I am that you're here. I mean, we've been through so much, I'm glad that I didn't have to start our friendship all over again." She glanced down awkwardly. "I can trust you, and I know you'll look out for me and protect me. We've come a long way from you trying to kill me."

Inuyasha stared at the top of Kagome's head. When he was silent for a while, Kagome looked up at him. He gave a bare raise of the corners of his mouth - a rare, genuine smile. "I wouldn't want to go back, either. Now, let's go talk to Kaede."

Kagome nodded, blushing and shy all of a sudden.

Instead of letting her walk, or putting her on his back, Inuyasha reached down and tucked his arm around her legs, so when he stood up, he was holding her bridal-style. Surprised and off-balanced, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. She was pressed against his chest, and her eyes widened in shock, even as she blushed with embarrassment. She looked into Inuyasha's eyes, only to see that they were sparkling with amusement. Even as she looked, a mischievous grin broke across his face. "I could get used to this position."

Kagome blushed even more at his wording, but merely shook her head. Inuyasha responded by tightening his arms and pulling her more securely against his chest. "Let's go," Kagome squeaked.

To Be Continued...

Please review!


	3. Subduing Dog Boy

I'm very glad everyone likes this story. I started writing it just to see where I could take it, and never expected to let anyone read it. I don't have a definite outline for this, just several little miniature-plots I can do. More like stand-alone episodes than an ongoing plot. But I'll try to make it interesting.

Several people have wondered how Kagome Inuyasha kept their memories. Honestly, I hadn't thought of it when I started the story -I just didn't want to have to go through them learning about each other again.I have figured it out, even though it's not that big a deal... I just can't tell you. ;P Because it will be revealed later in the story. But it's not really a big thing, so don't worry about it too much.

There is OOC-ness in this chapter. This is hopefully the worst it will get. Maybe I should have rewritten it, but it's not that bad, I think Inuyasha ( Kagome, for that matter) are allowed a little OOCness, after this big-ass curve-ball they've been thrown, so I left it in. Tell me what you think.

**Subduing Dog Boy**

Inuyasha and Kagome arrived at Kaede's hut shortly after the old woman. Inuyasha set Kagome down in front of the hut with a flourish, making Kagome give him a strange look. "What is with you?" She shook her head in confusion. "You're acting- well, if I didn't know you, I'd say you were being playful!"

Inuyasha grinned. "Of course I am!" he replied, surprising Kagome by not getting angry at her observation. "Kagome," he said earnestly, still unable to keep a note of giddiness out of his voice, "I'm not gonna get my face slammed into the ground anymore! I'm _free_!"

Kagome's face fell before she quickly smiled to hide her reaction. "Right. Of course. And, I'm sorry I was always 'slamming your face into the ground' all the time."

Inuyasha saw her sadness and shook his head. "Hey, don't worry about it. Sometimes I deserved it."

Kagome looked up at that, annoyed. "Sometimes? Try 'most of the time'."

Inuyasha scoffed, but was inwardly glad she didn't seem so sad anymore. "'Most of the time'? _Maybe_ half the time. Maybe."

"Half!" Kagome cried. "More like the vast majority! I wish I could _sit_ you right now!"

Inuyasha grinned brightly. "Yeah, but you can't!" He snickered to himself and entered Kaede's hut, leaving Kagome alone to fume at his smug behavior.

A moment later she heard Inuyasha yell, and her anger was completely forgotten as she rushed inside to see what was wrong.

What she found upon entering made her stop and stare. Inuyasha looked horrified. Kaede was kneeling, her hands still clasped together and her index fingers pointing out. And there, right where it should be, nestled against Inuyasha's collarbone, was the subduing rosary.

Inuyasha lifted his hands slowly and wrapped them around the beads, but made no move to try and pull them off - he knew it would be futile. Kagome's hands flew to cover her mouth, lest she burst out laughing and really upset him. But... it was just so funny! He'd been so _excited_ to finally be free of the subduing spell, only to...

Kagome snorted, causing Inuyasha to turn and glare at her. "Oh yeah, it's _real_ funny for you! You're not gonna get slammed into the ground at someone else's whim!"

Kaede cleared her throat. "Am I to understand that ye know of the subduing spell?"

Kagome nodded and moved to sit by the fire. Inuyasha followed, but folded his arms across his chest and sulked as he did it. "Yes," Kagome responded. "Inuyasha was trying to... get the Shikon no Tama from me." She decided to leave out the fact that he was trying to _kill_ her to get the jewel. "You put the rosary on him and I said the first command word I could think of. It was... degrading to him."

Inuyasha snorted at that. "No kidding! Being told to 'sit' like I'm some common mongrel dog. Then gettin' slammed into the ground whenever you feel like it..." Kagome scowled. She liked playful-Inuyasha much better than grumpy Inuyasha.

Kaede looked thoughtful. "If the subduing word were 'sit', that may explain why ye were 'slammed into the ground'."

Kagome blinked. "You mean... the word itself determines the form of subduing?"

Kaede nodded sagely. "Am I to assume that I did not have time to explain this to ye the first time?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, you just put them around Inuyasha's neck and told me to say the word of command, and that only I could come up with it."

Kaede nodded again at this information. "It is difficult to tell exactly how the spell will interpret the command word. But if ye used 'sit' as the command, that would explain why the spell forced ye to the ground, Inuyasha."

Kagome blinked in surprise, then looked at Inuyasha, who gazed back impassively. "So," Kagome began, "if I used a different command, something else would happen?"

Kaede closed her eye and declined her head in confirmation. "Yes. But be forewarned, Kagome; the command you choose may be interpreted any number of ways by the spell. Every spell is based on intent."

Kagome nodded and was silent for a long time, staring forward but not seeing the fire in front of her. Inuyasha kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye nervously. The longer she stayed quiet, the more anxious he became.

"Child," Kaede finally spoke softly. Kagome's eyes shifted slightly and focused on the older woman. "Ye must set the word of command now. Have ye decided what it shall be?"

Kagome glanced down and swallowed. "Everything has started over again. I can't help but think I - _we_, should make the most of it." She looked over at Inuyasha, who watched her with slightly wide, curious eyes. His defenses were down, and Kagome could see the real Inuyasha; the sweet, insecure boy underneath all the cockiness and posturing and defense mechanisms. "Kikyo isn't here, Inuyasha," she said softly. "She can't take you to hell. The only thing you owe her, is killing Naraku, for what he did to you both."

Inuyasha's eyes shuttered. "Kagome..."

Kagome took a deep breath and continued. "I just don't want you to feel torn between us, Inuyasha." She paused, and focused on exactly what she wanted to happen. A bare amount of her miko powers flared up; she looked into Inuyasha's eyes, and said, "Kiss me."

Inuyasha's eyes widened in slight embarrassed panic. He gasped as he felt the prayer beads activate - but they weren't dragging him to the ground, but pulling him toward Kagome. He looked down at the beads, then up to Kagome. She was blushing so much her whole face was pink, and her whole body was tense; he could see the insecurity in her eyes, could almost hear the thoughts spinning in her head. _What if he doesn't want me? What if I just remind him of Kikyo? What if he still loves her more than me?_ But she'd been right; Kikyo was gone, not in the picture at all. She'd been the reason why he'd held himself apart from Kagome, why he hadn't allowed himself to love her. Now, there was nothing stopping him but his own fear.

Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha lifted both hands to cup Kagome's jaw, closed his eyes, and kissed her. It was a simple pressing together of lips, completely innocent and appropriate... But it was their first kiss, and Kagome thought it was absolutely perfect.

The spell dissipated after about ten seconds. Kagome could feel when it wore off because Inuyasha relaxed and pulled back slightly - but he took his time ending the kiss and pulling away completely. They stared at each other for a moment, Kagome blushing slightly. Then, Inuyasha grinned. "That wasn't a very good subduing command, y'know."

Kagome frowned in confusion. She recognized that smile, and knew it boded no good for her. Finally, she had to ask. "And why is that?"

Inuyasha's smile, if possible, grew wider as he replied, "'Cause now I'll do everything I can to get you to subdue me."

Kagome's eyes widened and her face turned bright red. She reached forward and shoved him back, muttering, "Shut up, Inu-chan."

Inuyasha was too elated to take offense at her use of his hated nickname. Even if he did something that would normally earn him a 'sit', all Kagome could do would be to order him to 'kiss' her, which he would happily do. Life was finally looking up.

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

I very carefully made sure that Kagome never once said anything that might activate the spell. She never says 'sit', or any other command, until she actually sets the command word. Kaede Inuyasha say 'sit', but they aren't the ones setting the spell; Kagome is. Just thought I'd point that out. So, tell me what you thought! I hope it wasn't too over-the-top. - 


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